Senator McCain toured a Colombian port by boatto get a first hand look at the country's efforts to cut down on drugtrafficking.
McCain was interviewed in Colombia by ABC's .
"Thecontinued flow of drugs from Colombia through Mexico into the UnitedStates is still one of our major challenges to all Americans," saidMcCain. "And the Mexican government is struggling right now withbattles against drug cartels. Colombia continues to make progress, buta large percentage of the amount of cocaine that continues to come intothe United States comes from this country."
McCain will also stop in Mexico on his way back to the United States.
Thepresumptive Republican presidential nominee is also emphasizing hiscommitment to free trade during his Latin American tour. McCainsupports a pending free trade agreement between the U.S. and Colombia,which has stalled in the U.S. Congress because of human rights concerns.
McCainalso supports the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico andCanada and has criticized Democrat Barack Obama for wanting tore-negotiate the trade pact if elected in November.
Obama, meanwhile, was in Colorado Wednesday speaking about the importance of volunteerism and national service.
Obamahas proposed expanding government funded national service programs likeAmericorps inside the United States, as well as a plan to employmilitary veterans in the rapidly expanding field of renewable energy.
Obama also spoke about how his service programs would have an impact overseas.
"Andwe are going to grow our foreign service, open consulates that havebeen shuttered and double the size of the Peace Corps by 2011 to renewour diplomacy," said Obama. "We cannot to continue to rely only on ourmilitary in order to achieve the national security objectives that wehave set. We have got to have a civilian national security force thatis just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded."
Obama'sspeech was the latest in a series of events this week focused onAmerican values. Obama previously touched on patriotism and faith ashe seeks to tie his campaign into some of the ideals of Americancitizenship in time for the July 4 Independence Holiday on Friday.
Politicalanalysts say Obama has been moving steadily toward the middle of thepolitical spectrum in recent weeks as he tries to counter Republicancritics who say he is too liberal.